Episode 247 (24th April 1963)
Plot Dennis mistakes Christopher for a baby girl. Jerry helps Val find a ring that dropped into the sink drainpipe. Dennis asks to use the Barlows's phone rather than the one in the Rovers and enquires when the 9.25am London train will arrive. Ena warns Val that Dennis will take advantage of her. Ena treats herself and Martha to a shampoo and set using her legacy money from Alice. They think Frank must have something else on his mind to recover from Christine so easily. The Rovers' men only just won their match. Frank questions Len about the DIY market and how it affects him. Len is puzzled by his questions. In Swindley's absence, Emily and Doreen happily run Gamma Garments very smoothly and persuade Concepta to buy more items than she intended to purchase. Doreen is enthused enough to delay going on her lunch with a surprised Sheila. Dennis can't switch off the scullery tap and sends Minnie to fetch Len. She momentarily forgets and Len is late. Once he's arrived Dennis rushes to Manchester Central Station and puts out a message for Mavis Fox to meet him but she has made her own way to the street. She is puzzled that it doesn't have large detached houses with double garages. Hearing she's from London, Len guesses that there's a connection with Dennis. Mavis waits in the Rovers, puzzling Annie, Ena and Martha. Len tells Dennis where to find her when he returns. He catches up with her and she tells him that her mum suggested she follow him when he suddenly disappeared. He explains that his "Grannie Mottershead" lives in the street whilst he's looking after his father's mill. She is thrilled and he installs her in a hotel. An amused Len overhears their conversation. Emily and Doreen fall for two good-looking van drivers, Alf and Fred who transfer some of their stock to the Lancaster Street branch on head office's instructions. Frank drops a hint that he may be leaving the GPO. Len warns Dennis against getting Elsie involved in whatever he's up to. Emily rings head office and discovers there was no transfer and the stock has been stolen. Cast Regular cast *Annie Walker - Doris Speed *Albert Tatlock - Jack Howarth *Frank Barlow - Frank Pemberton *Ena Sharples - Violet Carson *Minnie Caldwell - Margot Bryant *Martha Longhurst - Lynne Carol *Concepta Hewitt - Doreen Keogh *Harry Hewitt - Ivan Beavis *Lucille Hewitt - Jennifer Moss *Valerie Barlow - Anne Reid *Kenneth Barlow - William Roache *Miss Nugent - Eileen Derbyshire *Doreen Lostock - Angela Crow *Sheila Birtles - Eileen Mayers *Len Fairclough - Peter Adamson *Dennis Tanner - Philip Lowrie *Jerry Booth - Graham Haberfield Guest cast *Mavis Fox - Maureen Davis *Fred - David Sumner *Alf - Douglas Austin Places *Coronation Street *Rovers Return Inn - Public *9 Coronation Street - Front room and hallway *11 Coronation Street - Back room, kitchen and hallway *15 Mawdsley Street - Yard *Gamma Garments *Manchester Central Station Notes *Len Fairclough states he had left his previous employer, Hargreaves, whereas in April 1962 he was sacked from Birtwistle's Construction. *The tap in No.11's scullery stops pouring out water before the first scene concerning it ends, making a nonsense of Dennis Tanner's desperation for Minnie Caldwell to fetch Len Fairclough. The prop is successfully restarted before the next scene in which it appears. *The scene in Manchester Central Station was recorded on film and contained a dubbed station announcement for Mavis Fox recorded by an unknown actress. *From Episode 172 (6th August 1962) to Episode 459 (5th May 1965) the programme featured a standardised cast list for the regular characters. This means that in this episode the following were credited but did not appear: Jack Walker (Arthur Leslie), Elsie Tanner (Patricia Phoenix), Florrie Lindley (Betty Alberge), Leonard Swindley (Arthur Lowe) and Christine Appleby (Christine Hargreaves). *''TV Times'' synopsis: Visitors - for Dennis Tanner and Gamma Garments *Viewing Figures: First UK broadcast - 7,475,000 homes (3rd place). Category:1963 episodes